The Wrath of Gammon

Disclaimer: This story is my humble attempt to write a fanfiction of the epic Mahabharata. My intention is not to hurt anyone's sentiment.

Aum Namah Shivay!!

Major Jayant Roy, SM is a fictitious character. Any similarity with any living person is merely a coincidence.

Chapter 47

Khandavprastha, Dwapar Yuga

Jayant Roy POV

I was standing in front of the dense, mysterious and dangerous forest. I could see the ruins of the old structures, but the huge trees were creating a barrier in front of my eyesight. I looked at the western sky, where I could see the Surya Narayana, who was slowly fading away, clearing the path of the dark night.

"If I am correct, then after fifteen minutes, it will be night. So, let's not waste time and enter the forest. Today, I have two reasons for entering the forest and I will fulfill them, at any cost." I thought to myself. The motorcycle has already taken the form of the locket and came to my neck. I slowly fumbled it, and made up my mind. Previously, Maharishi Vyasa stopped me from entering the forest, but today, no one was standing there to stop me.

I took out a cigar and the lighter. After igniting it, I slowly took a drag. The smoke literally made a trembling sensation in my brain and whole body. I cracked my neck and started walking. Dry leaves cracked under my shoes. Twigs snapped under my legs, as I entered deep in the forest. Each and every step I took, I took it with extreme caution. I had combat experience, tactical training in my previous life. I knew forests like the palm of my hand, but this forest...it gave me a sinister vibe.

I quickly controlled my right leg, just before stepping on a snake. The snake either didn't notice me or didn't care. It slowly crawled away in the depth of the jungle, and after a few moments, I resumed my journey. Slowly, I entered deeper and deeper, and the forest getting denser and denser. The sky became dark, and the last ray of light was slowly fading away. I slowly picked up the leather satchel tied on my waist, which contained pieces of cloth and a small earthen pot of flammable oil. I created a torch with those things and a long tree branch, and lit it using my lighter. Now, the burning torch was providing a little light, and with the help of it, I started penetrating the forest deeper and deeper. Suddenly, I heard the sound of wings, and after that, I saw a colony of bats flying towards me. Their eyes were glowing in the light of my torch. I quickly ducked, and they flew away over my head. I stood up again, and tried to walk again, but this time, a barrier of trees blocked my path.

I slowly touched my locket, and a knife came into my hand. I started creating my own path by cutting the branches and walked through the path. My training from my previous life helped me a lot. I slowly walked when suddenly I felt something. It felt like someone was standing behind me.

With a swift movement, I turned around. But to my great astonishment, I saw nothing. But still, my heightened senses were cautioning me, urging me to take every step with utmost care. Then again I heard footsteps, but this time, it was of an animal. I took a deep breath and started walking again.

The forest was getting denser and denser now, and cutting a path with my knife was getting harder and harder. I briefly thought about taking out my sword, but decided against it. My speed was getting slower and slower and the barrier getting tougher and tougher. Not only trees and bushes, but the old ruins were teaming up with them to obstruct my path, so it seemed.

Suddenly I felt a sensation in my left hand and when I looked at it, I saw a black scorpion sitting there. I looked at it and then poked it by using the handle of my torch, dropping it on the ground. It ran away in the bushes. The night was getting darker and darker, like the night of new moon.

I took out another cigar, and placed it in my mouth. But before I could ignite it, I felt the familiar sensation again. Someone or something was stalking me.

"The forest has a lot of things that you have only imagined." Maharishi Vyasa's warning echoed in my mind. My full body was in war mode now. I slowly closed my eyes, and concentrated my mind. In the darkness, a commando needed all his senses at utmost sharpness.

I opened my eyes and got the shock of lifetime!

Instead of the dense forest, I found myself in a well furnished room. The room was decorated beautifully, with a huge fore poster bed in the middle. The room was well lit with multiple golden lamps. Sweet smelling incense was burning in a corner. To sum it up, it had a truly calm and soothing environment. My body started feeling tired, and the bed was looking so inviting!

"Let's take a small break!" I thought to myself, but then I realized that I still have the unlit cigar in my lips. I looked at the burning torch in my hand and saw it was slowly burning out. My other hand still held the knife. I touched the knife in my locket and it vanished. Then I used the last amount of fire in the torch to ignite the cigar then took a long drag.

The smoke hit my nostrils, and my nerves literally jolted. But it became the greatest friend for me at that time, because it helped me understood what foolishness I was going to commit.

"Damn you Jayant!" I cursed myself. Then with my great astonishment, the well furnished room turned into a ruin. All those beautiful furniture were gone, along with the sweet smelling incense. This meant only one thing, something or someone was trying to trap me in some illusion. But luckily, I had managed to escape from it. The forest was eerily silent. It felt like all traces of life had abandoned the place. I quickly picked up a tree branch from the ground and made another torch. I lit it and started moving forward, towards the deepest sanctum of the forest. My mind was made up now! No illusion, no barrier would stop me from achieving my goal today.

"I will succeed today. I don't care if I have to cross the ocean of fire or the ocean of blood!"

I took out my sword; its curved blade gleamed in the light of the torch. It swiftly cut the branches and bushes, curving a path for me. But now, another unexpected barrier blocked my path. The ground in front of me was muddy, and it greatly reduced my speed. Then I smelt a foul stench. I recognized it easily. My gaze turned towards the ground, and I inspected the mud.

It was blood mixed with the soil.

Suddenly, an owl screeches, breaking the silence. I looked at the source of the sound, hoping to find the wise bird, but instead of it, I saw something that sent a shiver through my spine.

A figure was standing on the highest branch of a tree. Our eyes matched, and then I saw it crawling downwards, like a big lizard. It was crawling, but its eyes never left me for a second. When it finally came on the ground, it stood up on two legs, and then I managed to have a good look at it.

It was a young woman. She was bare-chested, her long, a bit curly hair covered the upper part of her torso. She wore a piece of white cloth under her waist. A golden waist chain was tied on her flat belly, and there were gold rings on her nose, ears and belly button. Other than those, there was nothing on her body. She slowly walked...no, not walked, her legs didn't touch the ground...she was floating towards me. I slowly tried to walk back, but the sticky mud prevented my legs from making any kind of movement.

The woman was now floating in front of me. I grabbed my sword, but suddenly, with my great astonishment, two ropes like structures made with the same bloody mud, came from the ground and bound my two hands. Now I was trapped! I was struggling now, but the mud was becoming tighter and tighter.

"F**K!" I muttered under my lips. The cigar dropped from my mouth and landed on the ground. I was still struggling, when I felt two hands embraced me. The woman was now floating in front of me. Her lips were in front of mine, then suddenly they went down on my neck, and before my mind could process what was happening, I felt something similar like teeth trying to pierce my neck!

Crack!!

The woman floated away backwards. I felt that the bounds in my hands are getting loose. With a roar, I gave a powerful pull, and managed to break free from the bounds. My legs also managed to move forward. Somehow I crossed the pool of mud and found myself on solid ground again. The woman was now lying on the ground, with her right hand on her mouth. I walked in front of her, with a naked sword ready in my hand. Her gaze met mine, and she started floating again. But I was ready now. My left hand grabbed her long hair, and with a huge force, I pinned her down on the ground. She cried in pain, but the sound which came out from her mouth had no relation with humanity. It was an inhuman howl. Both her hands lunged at my face, ten sharp claws touched my skin. If not for my diamond hard skin, the claws could have easily scratched the flesh from my face. But when her claws touched my face, they broke into pieces, as if they were not claws but matchsticks.

"I surrender!" She cried, her voice was strained, "Please spare my life!"

"Why should I?", I hissed at her, sword ready in my right hand, with one swift motion, and her head would be lying beside her body.

"A Kshatriya doesn't hurt someone who has surrendered." She said in a low voice, still lying on the ground. I pulled her hair to stand her up.

"That rule applied for humankind, and you are clearly not a human. You tried to kill me, and its only fare that I should kill you." My sword touched her throat. Our gaze met again, my eyes met hers. Two drop of tears shined in them.

"If you made up your mind, then so be it. But please, grant me a little bit of dignity. Leave my hair, I promise I will not escape."

There was something in her voice. I slowly released her hair. She stood straight for a moment then sat on her knees. Then she tied her long hair into a bun, exposing her bare chest.

"Please, make it swift." She lowered her head. I stood beside her. My gaze followed from my sword to her neck. One swift slash.....

"Damn it! I am a soldier, a warrior, not an executioner! I killed in combat, but never like this." I thought to myself.

"Why not?" the voice of Kali echoed in my mind, "If it was Shikhandini..."

"Go to hell, you bastard!"I forced all the thoughts, and touched the tip of my sword on her neck. Her whole body trembled in fear, and, I was ashamed to admit, I enjoyed her helplessness, her fear, my power on a being which was clearly paranormal.

"Rise.", I commanded.

She slowly stood up and faced me.

"I have decided to spare your life. Now answer my question. What are you?"

A sigh of relief escaped from her mouth, and slowly she composed herself, "I am a Pishachini. I survive on blood. I was waiting here for hunting, and when I saw you and smelled your blood, I could not resist myself. But you managed to overpower me."

"Are there others like you in this jungle?"

"There are three of us. My two sisters are on the opposite side of the forest. Takshaka, the king of snakes, gave us permission for hunting in this forest, provided that we do not harm anyone from his clan, or protected by him." while speaking , I saw her licking her lips.

"Are you thirsty?" I could not help but ask.

She nodded affirmatively, her face became a bit sad, and "I have lost my ability to hunt. Your skin was so hard; it broke my tooth and nails. I could never hunt properly without them."

I wiled my left hand to become normal, and then slashed my palm. Blood started flowing from the wound. I took my bleeding hand in front of her.

"Here, drink."

She looked at me with astonished eyes, then slowly put her lips on the wound and started sucking. A few moments later, she removed her lips, and stood up straight. She opened her mouth and I saw her broken teeth started mending themselves automatically. Her broken nails were mended now. I was feeling a bit weak, but with all my will force, I managed to stand up straight.

"Thank you!" she was smiling now, "You have indebted me now. Please, allow me to offer myself to you. I promise that I will make your experience memorable."

I heaved a deep sigh, "that is very kind of you, but I am married."

Her expression fell, but to my good luck, she didn't press this matter, for which I was grateful. I slowly walked towards her, and covered her naked torso with my angvastra. She was literally astonished. Her lips still had traces of my blood, which I wiped out with my handkerchief.

"You are a really kind hearted man. Your wife is a lucky woman indeed." She spoke those words, unable to understand how those innocent words literally piercing my heart, soul and conscience like red hot arrows. I could not control my tears, and they started flooding my eyes.

"What happened to you?"

I fought my tears hard, "Nothing. You really want to do something for me, aren't you?"

She nodded affirmatively, "I am indebted to you. You gave me your most valued possession, your blood. You could have killed me, but spared my life. I can't ever repay your debt. But please, let me serve you by any means, so that I could lighten this burden. Please tell me what I can do for you."

"Then, take me to the architect of Asuras. Take me to Mayasura."

So, this is chapter 47. Please read, vote and comment.